The DMK on Tuesday complained to the Madras High Court that AIADMK functionaries had put up flex boards and other publicity materials at ration shops to create an impression that the government’s Pongal cash gift of ₹2,500 to all rice cardholders was being distributed at their behest.
Appearing before the first Division Bench of Chief Justice Sanjib Banerjee and Justice Senthilkumar Ramamoorthy, senior counsel P. Wilson, representing the DMK, said the AIADMK cadre were actually soliciting votes in favour of their party by utilising the cash gift given to people from the public exchequer. He said the party had already filed a case seeking distribution of the cash gifts after ensuring that the tokens do not contain the AIADMK flag’s colours and photographs of the Chief Minister, the Deputy Chief Minister, other Ministers and party office-bearers.
Thereafter, the Tamil Nadu Civil Supplies Corporation and the Registrar of Cooperative Societies issued circulars directing ration shop employees to accept only official tokens. Hence, the court disposed of the writ petition on Monday. Now, the ruling party cadre had come up with ‘ingenious’ methods of overcoming the circulars.
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This had led to a fresh cause of action, he said and sought permission to move a fresh writ petition. The Bench accepted his plea and asked him to put the government pleader on advance notice.